NYS PTA appreciates the opportunity to comment on how the Executive Budget impacts children and families statewide.
Thank you to Assembly Finance Chair Weinstein, Senate Finance Chair Krueger, Assembly Education Chair Benedetto, Senate Education Chair Shelley Mayer and members of the Assembly for your continued commitment to ALL children, their families, and our schools.
In the past decade, students with disabilities increased 14% or 45,705 children, students receiving free or reduced priced lunch increased by 15% or an additional 183,077 children and remains at levels of more than half of all students in NY, and English Language Learners (ELL) students increased by 18% or an additional 36,078 children to our current high of 237,000 children.
Yet, support for our children hasn’t kept up with their needs.
Despite these challenges, our schools continue to do more for our children, working each day to make every child’s potential a reality. The need to provide students and schools with adequate, stable resources, programs and services grows, especially this year, with real federal uncertainties.